Slow cookers are such a blessing because you literally just set it and forget it. You throw your ingredients in, then 8 hours later you have a wonderfully flavorful meal… Not to mention a home that smells delicious too!

This recipe made some seriously good pulled pork sandwiches. If you like your BBQ tangy and sweet, then make this recipe as is. If you like your BBQ less tangy, more on the sweet side, then leave out the paprika. Next time, I’ll probably cut the paprika in half, just because we prefer our BBQ more sweet.

Add pork loin to crockpot. In separate bowl, combine seasonings, BBQ sauce, water and Coca-Cola. Mix all ingredients well then pour on top of pork loin. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Pork loin should be falling apart and easy to shred using only a fork.

Head’s up: I cooked my pulled pork in the crockpot on high for one hour, then low for approx. 6 hours.

I serve my BBQ shredded pork with a slice of pepper jack cheese on a sweet Hawaiian bun or potato bread bun. Trust me, this combination is delicious! Pulled pork sandwiches are perfect for Football season, it’s packed full or flavor and hearty. This recipe makes enough pork for at least 10 sandwiches.

Leave a comment below and let me know if you’d like to see me share more crockpot recipes for Fall. I’m thinking about sharing crockpot recipes weekly this season as I continue to try new and old recipes myself.

I love my crockpot every day of the year… But there’s just something about Fall and Winter that makes slow cooker meals even better. I think it’s because most of the recipes I make in my crockpot are hearty and we crave hearty meals on cooler days.

Matt and I lived in New Orleans for six months in 2013 and during that time I fell in love with cajun food. I’ve always loved Southern cooking because that what I grew up on, but cajun food wasn’t something I was really ever introduced to. I grew up visiting my great Uncle Don in the New Orleans area, but I don’t specifically remember being introduced to cajun meals.

During our time in Nola, I quickly decided shrimp and grits were one of my favorite meals. When done right, the dish is packed with flavor and leaves you only wanting more. I never even attempted to make this dish at home, I was so intimidated by how flavorful my experiences have been with it. My second trimester craving has been shrimp, so I decided to take a stab at making my own shrimp and grits and man they turned out amazing!

Before you comment about how pregnant women shouldn’t eat (cooked) shellfish, it’s simply not true. My doctor approved my consumption of fully cooked shrimp and they’re packing some iodine which is great for baby’s development. 🙂

I originally followed this recipe I found on Pinterest. I knew that mine would need a few extra ingredients and a little heat, so I adapted it to the below recipe. This was so easy to make and the flavor was incredible! Matt said multiple times how delicious it was and it had even more flavor when we warmed up the leftovers the next day. I suggest serving this with some fresh cornbread.

Just a head’s up, this makes a lot of food. You could easily feed 6-8 people with this recipe.

Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite Fall crockpot meal is. Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration- I’m pinning there daily!

PS- In case you were wondering, this is the model of Crockpot I use most often. I have three different slow cookers, but this one is my favorite. Also, this is my Instant Pot, which I talk about often on Insta-Stories. It has a slow cooker function, but I haven’t tried it yet. We love using our Instant Pot too, so check them out if you don’t already have one.

I know, I know… Lentils aren’t everybody’s favorite. I turned my nose up to these little legumes for years. And Matt? He was a hard pass. But then we started this healthy eating journey… Trying to incorporate as many whole foods (grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and animal products) as possible. You know what that means? It’s time for this girl to get creative. So I took to the internet, and more importantly, to Pinterest.

I didn’t want to go hardcore Whole 30 since Matt spends the majority of his time on set. He’s on set 90% of his time, so I can’t prepare every single meal for him. Plus, following a strict diet when you’re at the mercy of other people feeding you (catering or restaurants) can be difficult and frustrating. That’s why I decided not to actually “diet” per say, but start eating cleaner. But let’s be real… Eating clean is pretty much a diet.

I started out with a delicious barley pilaf recipe (posted in this Facebook post) and my hubby LOVED it… Naturally, I decided to try something new the very next day and created this yummy lentil soup. I didn’t find one particular recipe online that I loved so I decided to take it upon myself to experiment in the kitchen. This turned out seriously better than I anticipated. It’s “healthy” meets “comfort food” and what’s not to love about that? This is a great fall meal and I’ll definitely be making it again soon.

Ingredients

1 Bag of dry lentils (rinsed)

3 Medium carrots (I used approx. 10 baby carrots) diced

2 Sweet potatoes

2 Bay leaves (dry)

2 Celery stalks (sliced)

8 Cups of low sodium chicken stock

1 Medium onion (or 1 Tbsp. onion powder)

2 Garlic cloves (1/4 -1/2 tsp. depending on how much you prefer)

2 Tsp. salt

2 Tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/4 Cup tomato paste

Shredded parmesan cheese (optional topping)

Instructions

Rinse lentils under cold water. Add all ingredients to crockpot except sweet potatoes. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add diced sweet potatoes last 2 or 3 hours of cooking. Check halfway through and see if additional broth or water needs added as lentils absorb so much fluid. Top with additional salt and pepper to taste and shredded cheese before serving.